Page 31 of Some Like It Scandalous (Going Royal #2)

If you hadn’t needed to talk about me. He didn’t say it and he didn’t have to.

She would have to be blind to not notice his withdrawal or the distrust in his gaze when he looked at her.

But she packed all of that away, blocking the kneejerk prick of pain stabbing her heart.

She didn’t deserve his trust yet, but he needed her.

“Let me ask you this—if Richard or you realized the danger, do you think he wouldn’t have come?” She moistened her lips. Pushing may not be what he needed, but Charlie rarely backed down and even when she knew him in college, he was more critical of himself than anyone else.

He rubbed her hand between his palms and shook his head slowly.

“No. He wouldn’t take security if I threw it at him either.

He likes to roam and security is extra baggage.

” His lips twisted into a rueful smile. “He traveled with me one summer, between his years at law school. We hadn’t managed to talk much that year—and he needed a change of pace.

He said he preferred law school afterwards. ”

The snort of laughter wasn’t much, but the lost look on his face faded. “After my father passed, I had to tour all of our properties. It’s far more extensive than many realize…more even than I knew. That year we went to Belgium, India, Egypt, and Australia.”

“Australia?” That was a new one. What could his family have there?

“A sheep station. It’s in the middle of nowhere.

We flew into Sydney, then another plane to a small airport on the edge of the outback and cars to the station.

We had to travel with about eight security guards, two for each vehicle, and then Richard was assigned a personal detail while he vacationed with me.

You have never heard so many complaints.

He kept trying to slip his guards—testing them he called it.

But later—later he told me he hated feeling watched all the time, even when they were discreet. He knew they were there.”

Gradually, he sat back, still holding her hand, and she scooted to stay with him. “I’m sure his detail didn’t enjoy him trying to wander away.” She didn’t know Kyle very well, but she could imagine that fierce expression if she tried similar antics.

“They made a game out of it. Richard likes to play cards and so do the guards. So if he won enough hands, they didn’t have to pay up if they didn’t lose him.”

Anna’s mouth opened. “Good grief. Did they lose him?”

“Once.” Charlie nodded, a quick smile passing over his lips like summer lightning slashing the sky.

She admitted to being suitably impressed. She couldn’t even leave the tower without the elevator stopping at the security floor. “Were they very mad?”

“Oh, they were.” Charlie reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Furious. But they paid up without complaint…and he never managed it again.”

“How did he do it?”

Charlie shook his head. “He never told me. Said it was a trade secret.” A small smile fastened to his mouth. “But Rick was the clever one—he used to find ways to sneak women in and out of the dorm, bring in a coffee cart or a kegger…”

“I remember.” Anna smiled a little. “I believe he even snuck me in once or twice—just for your birthday.”

He cut his glance up at her then and surprised pleasure rippled across his face. “I forgot about that.”

“I wanted to do something special for you, but it was spring and you took three extra classes—and you were in the library nearly every night.” She’d almost forgotten this until he mentioned Richard’s habit.

“He had me put on a pizza-delivery uniform and I got past the RA, delivered the pizza and traded outfits with the girl in the room…”

“Girl in the room?” Charlie frowned.

“Oh yeah, Richard had his party while you were studying.” She grinned. “I think her name was Melody? Melanie? Melissa? I don’t know. But she was about my height and weight. We traded clothes and she took off.”

“You traded clothes while Richard was in the room?” Charlie’s brows drew together.

“Yes—but he stared at the wall the whole time and I was perfectly respectable underneath.”

“In the black lace cups and thong?” He snorted.

“You liked it.”

“That, I did.” He let go of her hand and slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She snuggled up to his shoulder and sighed.

“He can’t die, Anna.”

“He won’t.” She believed that. “He’s good at sneaking in and out trouble, he’ll get out of this.”

They lapsed into silence, Charlie’s chin resting against her hair. The clock ticked off the interminable seconds. Two hours passed before the door opened again and the doctor appeared. Anna blinked away the hazy doze and sat forward so Charlie could rise.

“Your Highness, Mr. Prentiss is being moved to recovery now. Everything went well, we did remove his spleen and we’ve managed to stop all the other bleeds. It will be a few hours before you can see him and we’ll know more tomorrow about his prognosis, but it looks good—very good—right now.”

Charlie’s shoulders sagged briefly and he bowed his head. “Thank you, Doctor. We will stay here until we can see him.”

The doctor looked like she wanted to say more, but she refrained and left. Anna reached up to touch his hand, but he pulled away and slid the hand into his pockets. “I need to call Barbara now. I can have Kyle take you back to the penthouse. You should get some sleep.”

And just like that, the door between them closed.

ARMAND

It was well past dawn before Armand made it back to the penthouse.

Anna refused to leave, even when he spoke at length with Richard’s sister, his attending surgeons, and security.

She waited for him, staying in the secure surgical floor waiting room.

He managed to coax her into going home to sleep only after she extracted a promise that he would be along directly.

He left his coat and tie in the car, but security would send both up later.

He sat with Richard until the attorney’s eyes opened.

He wouldn’t likely remember it, but Armand would.

Peterson arranged for a detail to remain at the hospital.

Richard’s aversion to security aside—he would be in the hospital for several days if not weeks and Armand refused to leave him unguarded.

Pausing at the bar, Armand poured himself a drink and tossed it back.

Exhaustion wore at him. He’d leaned hard on Anna tonight and she kept him going.

He couldn’t believe he forgot about his birthday—arriving to find her waiting for him in his bed—right down to the bow.

He poured a second drink and carried it with him.

The apartment was silent, and he stopped at her bedroom door and ran his fingers down the wood.

He wanted to open it and go inside to her.

Trusting her didn’t seem so distant a concept after the night—but she wasn’t safe with him.

Dragging his fingers away, he rubbed his face.

They needed to put more resources into tracking down Richard’s attacker and eliminating this threat.

If it meant declaring on Belarian television that he slept with goats, he needed that party to stop lobbying for his family’s return.

Opening the door to his room, he found that a lamp burned next to the bed—low and friendly.

Unbuttoning his shirt with one hand and balancing his drink with the other, he paused.

Anna lay sound asleep in the middle of his bed, curled on her side.

His heart squeezed. Her dark hair spread over the pillows, deep shadows of fatigue smudged under her eyes.

Quiet and slow, he walked over and set his drink down on the nightstand.

A note propped against the clock actually dragged a weary smile from him.

It’s not your birthday, but I’m here anyway.

He stripped off his clothes, drained the drink and crawled in next to her.

She rolled over and snuggled right into his arms. Even in sleep, she fit against him perfectly.

His eyes drifted closed, he hadn’t thought sleep was possible when he left the hospital.

But Richard was alive and Anna was in his arms.

It’s a lot better than a birthday.